Some ally; Karzai says he'd back Pakistan in war with US

Gee - it's not like we've done anything for him - or his country.Guardian:

The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has said he would side with Pakistan in the event of war with the US in a surprising political twist that is likely to disconcert his western allies.

"If there is war between Pakistan and America, we will stand by Pakistan," Karzai said in a television interview. He put his hand on his heart and described Pakistan as a "brother" country.

The statement was widely interpreted as a rhetorical flourish rather than a significant offer of defence co-operation. Despite recent tension between Pakistan and the US, open warfare is a remote possibility.

Karzai - who is scrambling to ensure his political future in advance of the US military drawdown in 2014 - needs Pakistani help to bring the Taliban to peace talks. In the event of any conflict, his army, which is wholly dependent on US money and training, would be in no position to back Pakistan.

Nevertheless, the interview with Geo, Pakistan's largest network, was at stark variance with the tone set during a visit to the region by Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and David Petraeus, the CIA director, days earlier.

In Kabul, Clinton bluntly warned Pakistan that the US would act unilaterally if Islamabad failed to crack down on the Taliban-linked Haqqani network inside its North Waziristan sanctuary.

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki has said something similar about the US vs. Iran.

Why we keep expecting gratitude from these corrupt little men is beyond me. They owe everything to the US but if the chips are down, they would side with our enemies.

Even worse, we don't make it clear that we will cut off the massive aid we will still be sending these kleptocrats when we're gone if they try to pull a stunt like that. When you invite your allies to make a doormat of you, this is what happens.

The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has said he would side with Pakistan in the event of war with the US in a surprising political twist that is likely to disconcert his western allies.

"If there is war between Pakistan and America, we will stand by Pakistan," Karzai said in a television interview. He put his hand on his heart and described Pakistan as a "brother" country.

The statement was widely interpreted as a rhetorical flourish rather than a significant offer of defence co-operation. Despite recent tension between Pakistan and the US, open warfare is a remote possibility.

Karzai - who is scrambling to ensure his political future in advance of the US military drawdown in 2014 - needs Pakistani help to bring the Taliban to peace talks. In the event of any conflict, his army, which is wholly dependent on US money and training, would be in no position to back Pakistan.

Nevertheless, the interview with Geo, Pakistan's largest network, was at stark variance with the tone set during a visit to the region by Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and David Petraeus, the CIA director, days earlier.

In Kabul, Clinton bluntly warned Pakistan that the US would act unilaterally if Islamabad failed to crack down on the Taliban-linked Haqqani network inside its North Waziristan sanctuary.

I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki has said something similar about the US vs. Iran.

Why we keep expecting gratitude from these corrupt little men is beyond me. They owe everything to the US but if the chips are down, they would side with our enemies.

Even worse, we don't make it clear that we will cut off the massive aid we will still be sending these kleptocrats when we're gone if they try to pull a stunt like that. When you invite your allies to make a doormat of you, this is what happens.